Aafke Ytsma (1988) is a Dutch artist currently based in Leipzig and Leeuwarden working both at home and abroad. She explores the contemporary time and our position in it. In paintings and water based woodblock prints she depict the everyday world. Sometimes it's a populated world: a woman steps out of a car or cooks a meal, farmers work the land, someone talks on the phone or drinks a beer while camping out. At other times the people are absent although they never seem far away: a cat walks across a scrapyard, there's an empty hallway or a view of a factory through the thick of trees. The depictions hold the middle between snapshots and film stills of daily life. There is the hint of a story but the plot is hidden or rather open. The everyday world merges with imagination and influences from films, photography, comics and the history of painting.

Current and upcoming exhibitions

7 november - 12 december 2021
Group exhibition "Seven year it(ch)"
Melklokaal, Heerenveen
Opening sunday 7th of november 13:00 - 17:00

Solo exhibitions
2022  Upcoming Museum Belvédère, Heerenveen, AFSLAG BLV
2019  Melklokaal, Heerenveen, "Settings" Solo exhibition
2017  Museum Belvédère, Heerenveen, Art Noord, melklokaal stand
2014  Stânfries X, Leeuwarden, “Walk of Art”

Group exhibitions
2021  Kunsthalle Hillsbach, Hillsbach (DE), "Elements"
2021  Hockdruckpartner, Leipzig (DE), Hochdruck Trinational "RevierWechsel"
2021  THALER Originalgrafik, Leipzig (DE), "Lange nicht Gesehen"
2020  Koninklijk Paleis, Amsterdam, "Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst 2020"
2020  Museum für Druckkunst, Leipzig (DE), Let's print 3
2020  Melklokaal, Heerenveen, "Immuun"

2019  Museum Belvédère, Heerenveen, "Art Noord", melklokaal stand
2019  Museum Belvédère, Heerenveen, Presentatie jong talent
2019  Melklokaal, Heerenveen, Group exhibition "Lust(rum), 5 jaar melklokaal!"
2018  Museum Belvédère, Heerenveen, "Art Noord" melklokaal stand
2018  Melklokaal, Heerenveen, "Friese milkshake"
2018  Kunstruimte H47, Leeuwarden, "Fanzine Genius van Leeuwarden"
2017  Municipal gallery Pafos (CY), “In Search of Common Myth”
2017  Melklokaal, Heerenveen “A portrait show” 
2017  Museum Arnhem, Arnhem “In de geest van Pierre Janssen…" 
2016  Kunstruimte Wagemans, Beetsterzwaag “The sitters”
2015  De Fabriek, Ried "Volledig 2.0"
2011  Inspectie voor de Gezondheidszorg, Zwolle
2011  Extrapool, Nijmegen, “Destillaat”

Grants & Awards
2021  Winner open-call Corona poster design, VHDG & Fries Museum
2021  Japanese print material grant, Tijl fonds, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds
2021  Corona overbrugging, Mondriaan Fonds
2020  Stipendium, Stichting Reisma Van den Burg
2020  Nominated, Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst
2020  Project Grant Artist, Mondriaan Fonds
2019  Jury prize Art Noord, Museum Belvédère
2019  Talentontwikkeling Gemeente Leeuwarden, work grant
2014  Coba de Groot, partial grant for the exhibition "Walk of Art"

Residencies
2020-2021  Working period in Leipzig (DE)
2018  Cultural capital of Europe 2018, Leeuwarden, "Fanzine Genius van Leeuwarden"
2017  Cultural capital of Europe 2017, Pafos (CY), “In Search of Common Myth”

Publications
2021  Hochdruck Trinational "RevierWechsel", catalogue Exhibition
2020  Let's print in Leipzig, catalogue Exhibition
2018  Fanzine: Genius van Leeuwarden, RISO-uitgave met 8 (inter)nationale kunstenaars
2014  Walk of Art, Catalogue, ISBN 978 9491276248

Education
2007-2011 ArtEZ hogeschool voor de kunsten, Zwolle, the Netherlands
2021 Guest studentship at the painter Meisterklasse Annette Schröter
2019  Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst, Leipzig (DE)